Lazarus Group Targeting Windows IIS Web Servers

AhnLab Security Emergency response Center (ASEC) has recently confirmed the Lazarus group, a group known to receive support on a national scale, carrying out attacks against Windows IIS web servers. Ordinarily, when threat actors perform a scan and find a web server with a vulnerable version, they use the vulnerability suitable for the version to install a web shell or execute malicious commands. The AhnLab Smart Defense (ASD) log displayed below in Figure 1 shows that Windows server systems are…

DarkCloud Infostealer Being Distributed via Spam Emails

AhnLab Security Emergency response Center (ASEC) has recently discovered the DarkCloud malware being distributed via spam email. DarkCloud is an Infostealer that steals account credentials saved on infected systems, and the threat actor installed ClipBanker alongside DarkCloud. 1. Distribution Method The threat actor sent the following email to induce users to download and execute the attachment. The contents of this email prompt users to check the attached copy of the payment statement sent to the company account. When the attachment…

ASEC Weekly Phishing Email Threat Trends (May 7th, 2023 – May 13th, 2023)

AhnLab Security Emergency response Center (ASEC) monitors phishing email threats with the ASEC automatic sample analysis system (RAPIT) and honeypot. This post will cover the cases of distribution of phishing emails during the week from May 7th, 2023 to May 13th, 2023 and provide statistical information on each type. Generally, phishing is cited as an attack that leaks users’ login account credentials by disguising as or impersonating an institute, company, or individual through social engineering methods. On a broader note,…

Kimsuky Group Using Meterpreter to Attack Web Servers

AhnLab Security Emergency response Center (ASEC) has recently discovered the distribution of malware targeting web servers by Kimsuky group. Kimsuky is a threat group deemed supported by North Korea and has been active since 2013. At first, they attacked North Korea-related research institutes in South Korea before attacking a Korean energy corporation in 2014. Since 2017, their attacks have been targeting countries other than South Korea as well. [1] ASEC has been providing the analysis of various cases of Kimsuky…

Distribution of Remcos RAT Exploiting sqlps.exe Utility of MS-SQL Servers

AhnLab Security Emergency response Center (ASEC) has recently discovered the case of Remcos RAT being installed on poorly managed MS-SQL servers. Unlike the past attack, the recent case showed the threat actor using sqlps to distribute the malware. Sqlps is SQL Server PowerShell and is included in the SQL Server installation procedure[1]. SQL Server Powershell allows users to use the Powershell cmdlet which is needed to manage SQL Server instances. The attacker exploited this trait in distributing the malware. Figures 1…